DPLU refuses Village Assoc. sign request

Although the Fallbrook Community Planning Group approved an off-premise sign for the Fallbrook Village Association (FVA) at their June 18 meeting, the Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) overturned their decision.

“We did not have any issues with the design or the sentiment of the sign; the issue was the placement,” said Mary Tondro of the DPLU.

The applicant, Jerri Patchett of the Fallbrook Village Association (FVA), wanted this off- premise temporary gateway sign for visitors to be erected on the southeast corner of Mission Road and Alvarado Street. The applicant made an earnest attempt to have the sign placed in this location under an Administrative Permit.

Tondro explained there are two particular zoning ordinances that regulate sign placement.

“The one that [FVA] proposed was within 300 feet of a residential zone which shares frontage on the same street,” said Tondro. Another major issue was the fact that this prospective sign would be within a zone marked as a “B” special area designator, which subjects it to a community design review.

“Off-premise signs are not permitted in either of those locations,” explained Tondro.

Tondro asserted that the project on a whole has not been denied – that the process is still open and considered active. However, the applicant must work with the DPLU in order to find a new and permitted location for this directional sign. Once that is achieved, she said, the project can move forward.

On the evening of June 18, Eileen Delaney, a member of the Fallbrook Community Planning Group, voted in opposition regarding this FVA sign, claiming it was in conflict with the county regulations and zoning.

“This is why the DPLU made the decision that they made,” said Delaney. It has also been her opinion that when one deviates from a zoning ordinance, this type of decision may not be fair to someone else who may want to place an off-premise sign in the future. “How can we say ‘no’ to them but ‘yes’ to this?” she asked.

Jim Russell verbally reinforced the fact that DPLU and zoning guidelines curtail a plethora of signs that could potentially be raised all over town. Historically, off-premise signs have not been widely accepted by the review committee.

When contacted by phone, Patchett said she had no comment at this time in regards to the recent decision made by the DPLU.